Tom needs your help to fight Leukemia

Why am I fundraising?

Tom hails from Idukki District in Kerala, India. He is 3.5 years old and is the only son of Jo and Litty who are from an agricultural background. Their peaceful life changed overnight when Tom was diagnosed with Leukemia (B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia to be precise) 2 weeks back. Tom is currently admitted in CMC Vellore for advanced treatment. As per his doctor at CMC ideal treatment for this disease is chemotherapy followed by Stem Cell Transplant.

The estimated cost of the Stem Cell Transplant would be as high as Rs. 50, 00000 (Rupees Five Million). Jo is not in a position to raise such a huge amount as his only source of income is farming. He is seeking your prayers and financial support for Tom’s treatment

Request you to make a generous contribution to this noble cause. I have started this campaign on behalf of JoThanking youPius Sebastian

I am Uthra Nagarajan, an Open Fellow at Milaap. I spoke to Pius Sebastian, Tom’s uncle.

The search for a perfect stem-cell match for Tom did not work out; the one donor who was a complete match is in Philippines and is unable to donate.

Tom’s father is a partial match (50 percent) and the discussion on whether he could be a donor started a month ago. “But Tom’s doctors are very hesitant,” said Pius, over a phone call. “There is a high chance of Tom rejecting a partial match and this would risk his health further.”

The family hasn’t lost hope yet. Tom is still on the transplant list and the search for a complete match has intensified. Currently, Tom has finished his initial eight chemotherapy sessions and is now in maintenance mode. He takes injections once in 15 days and undergoes chemotherapy once in three months. “If at any time his condition worsens, we will have to go ahead with the partial match transplant, even though it is highly risky” said Pius Sebastian.

Thank you for the amazing support. I will keep you posted with more updates in the coming days.